The Time Has Come
by I'dRatherBeInStarsHollow
Summary: Having exchanged letters for some months, Rory and Jess reconnect in Stars Hollow for Doula's birthday party. A follow-up from The Key is in the Timing but should stand alone. Literati.
1. Chapter 1

**Having exchanged letters for some months, Rory and Jess reconnect in Stars Hollow for Doula's birthday party. A follow-up from The Key is in the Timing but should stand alone.**

 **The characters aren't mine; they belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and co.**

 **A/N: I apologise for the cheesy title. I wanted a reference to time and it just kind of fit.**

Chapter 1

Rory was driving along the interstate, the oh-so-familiar stretch of interstate, with an unfamiliar feeling in her stomach. Rory hadn't felt like this for a long time, felt the building anticipation and gentle nausea that came with the knowledge that she was about to see a boy she really, really liked. A boy (man?) she loved. Her fists tightened on the steering wheel as she willed herself to _be cool_. She was supposed to be all grown up now - Ms Gilmore reporting for Obama - but she didn't think she'd ever felt more teenage.

She wondered how Jess was feeling: probably calm, collected, ready with a smirk and his quick wit. But Rory shook her head at that image. That was Jess as she'd known him first, or rather how Jess had appeared to her at first; after all, he'd left without saying goodbye which was enough to prove a lack of calm and collected. She had to remind herself that that wasn't Jess now. She may not have seen him for long at her grandparents' house or at Truncheon but she knew that Jess had changed; she knew that she had changed. She and Jess had discussed as much early on in their recent letter-writing, their need to relearn each other. It pained and excited Rory in equal measure.

Maybe that's why she was so nervous: the man she was meeting this weekend (she didn't know if he'd be there yet tonight) was an unknown entity. Sure, they'd been writing letters and had even spoken on the phone but, this early on in what really did feel to Rory like a new relationship, she didn't feel like she knew the man behind the words. And she wanted so badly to. She wanted so badly for things to go right this time.

Rory had turned off the interstate by now and the roads were getting thinner. She tried not to think too hard as she drove through Hartford. Tried not to think about how much how grandparents had like Logan and wonder how they would react to Jess. Tried desperately not to see an imprint of herself walking the streets in her, now discarded, DAR gear. She'd purposefully driven in on a Thursday to make sure she didn't have to go straight to a Friday night dinner and deal with being in that house again, so soon, while also combatting her nerves at seeing Jess.

The roads were so empty as she drew into Stars Hollow that she took them slowly, drinking in the view. She felt like she'd been away for years, which in some ways she had. But there was Al's, just as it had always been, and Miss Patty's and the gazebo and the street lights, turning red, of course, just as she approached to allow for the crossing of no-one in particular. There, too, was Luke's. Rory couldn't help but smile. She was home. Sure, travelling the country was great but hotel food and accommodation couldn't match up to the feeling of being surrounded by family. She waved giddily at the cockerel statue as she turned into her driveway, cutting the engine and pausing for a moment to stare up at the house. `It felt right knowing her mom and Luke were inside in a way that it never had with her mom and dad when they were living there. She couldn't deny that. It may have been her childhood dream for her parents to get back together and live in her house but she was an adult now and she knew better.

Rory slid out of the driver's seat and pulled her bag from the trunk then walked up to the front door. She felt weird knocking but probably would have felt weirder walking in unannounced after months away. This may have been her home but it wasn't really her house anymore. She heard a distinctive clatter from inside and saw her mother's silhouette glide into view. Lorelai opened the door, smiling.

"Rory, honey," she said as she pulled her daughter to her.

"Hi Mom." Rory hugged her mother tightly. She hadn't realised just how much talking on the phone did not compare to having her mother there in person.

"Missed you, baby. Come in. I slightly misjudged my timing coming down those stairs, nearly turned into a repeat of the great stair tobogganing of '03…"

Lorelai led the way into the kitchen, still talking, while Rory instinctually dumped her bags at her bedroom door before sitting opposite her mother at the table.

"I swear, I should have found some time trials for the Winter Olympics because I made real time coming down the stairs that year. You remember?"

Here, Lorelai paused and smiled at her daughter, her face softening.

"He's not getting in 'til late."

"Huh?" Rory was confused.

"Jess, Rory. He's not getting in until late so you can relax for a bit."

Rory tried to sound affronted but couldn't deny the straightness in her back or how closely her ears were listening out for the sound of an engine, or the front door.

"I am relaxed."

"Sure you are."

"Well I _was_. Right up until I remembered there was a reason I might not be."

"You're sure about this though?"

" _Mom_."

"I just want to make sure. I trust you and I've seen the change in Jess but…"

"I've told you. We're good. We're starting from the beginning again."

Lorelai looked as though she might say something else but was interrupted by the front door opening and a deep voice declaring: "I'm home."

Lorelai called back to the voice, summoning it into the kitchen. Luke stepped through from the hallway and Rory stood up to greet him. They hugged before Rory sat again and Luke moved over to Lorelai, who turned to kiss him.

"It's good to see you Rory. You want somethin' to eat?"

Rory grinned. She'd barely been home five minutes and already one of her favourite men in the world was offering do what he did best: feed one half of the Gilmore girls.

"Yes please. It's good to see you too, Luke."

Luke started to bang around pots and pans, opening the fridge to reveal it filled with food from all five food groups. Some things had changed.

"You want to watch a movie tonight? Your pick?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah - how does Willy Wonka sound?"

But others never would.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was late and dark when Jess got into Stars Hollow. Luke had left him the key to the now-vacated apartment above Luke's Diner but, tired as he was, all Jess really wanted to do was to see Rory. He parked up his car and left his bags under one of the diner tables before locking up and heading out into the night on foot.

Stars Hollow looked much as it always had and Jess made a conscious effort not to wince. Besides, if he'd liked anything about the small town it was how quiet it was at night, how grey everything was when there weren't hundreds of street lamps and illuminated store fronts. And if he'd liked anything else, it was Rory, who he was on his way to see right now. Walking through Stars Hollow like he was, late at night down the familyar road to Rory's, made him feel almost sixteen again. Almost, but not quite; he had no desire to go back to the way he'd been at sixteen. Unless maybe if it would help him with his writing, he thought, laughing tightly to himself.

He had nearly reached the house now and he could feel nerves and memories swelling up in him as he walked up the driveway. Luke had told him about the walk they'd done on the house the first time around - before it had been Chris and Lorelai's house - so the new size didn't catch Jess off guard, instead compounding to him how much everything had changed. Well, not everything. Rory's curtains were still the same flimsy material and as he drew closer, Jess could tell that her reading lamp was switched on. Although that didn't mean Rory was necessarily awake, Jess moved over to the window and knocked gently, feeling deliciously like a truant. He'd made a lot of effort to reform himself over the years but he still got a thrill of doing something not expected of him, or exactly expected of of him as the case may have been.

Jess saw movement behind the curtains and clenched his fists out of nerves. No wonder he came across as aggressive sometimes. He made a conscious effort to relax his fingers and smile as Rory pulled back the curtain and gasped: "Jess."

Jess could feel his smile widening. He felt ridiculous and fantastic at the same time. Ridiculously fantastic and fantastically ridiculous.

"Hey Ror."

She leant towards the glass, tilting her eyes upwards.

"What are you doing here?" Her whisper was gentler but still slightly reprimanding. So Rory hadn't changed that much, even with Logan. And getting arrested. For stealing a boat. Jess shook his head; he couldn't focus on those things right now - he was with Rory. In person.

"You okay, Jess?"

"Oh. Yeah, sorry. I'm here because I wanted to see you."

Rory raised her eyebrows at him, gave him her 'I'm so wise' look - _Rory_.

"It's midnight."

Jess tried to cough back a laugh but her escapades with Logan were already on his mind.

"I know. I thought you were the wild one now?" he joked.

Rory's jaw tightened slightly but she took his what he'd said with a weary smile that said 'well, this was going to come eventually'.

"Not any more. Not really. You know that."

Jess' smile softened and he looked to her.

"Yeah, I do." He paused. "I still wanted to see you."

She sighed. Releasing tension? Nerves? Or was that just him?

"I wanted to see you too."

Jess' grin was back with a vengeance. Seeing Rory really did make him feel younger, fitter, more alive.

"You gonna open this window?"

Rory left it a beat, contemplating variables he could only guess at.

"Okay, give me a second."

She fumbled with the latch for a few seconds and then pulled at the window, cringing slightly when it squeaked, until it was open wide enough for Jess to pull himself through. Soon, they were standing, staring, silently at each other, the night time wind blowing quietly at the papers and books around the room.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Jess was in her bedroom. After months of writing, Jess, _Jess_ , was right in front of her looking almost exactly as he remembered. It's not like she'd expected him to dramatically morph into some other being, it was just that after such a long time relating Jess to written words on a page seeing in-the-flesh-Jess was a little disconcerting. And he was in her bedroom.

"So…" she managed to say, all too distracted by the flash of collarbone showing at the neck of his shirt. His smile was smaller now but his eyes were still grinning at her and she felt her own smile widen under his gaze.

"Rory." Jess stepped towards her and, ridiculously, she felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes.

" _Jess_." She reached up to his face, holding her hand about a centimetre from where a stray hair had come untucked from behind his ear. He took her hand and moved it down to hold it gently in both of his, shaking his head as he broke away from her gaze.

"What?" Rory asked, a little concerned. Jess pulled his head back up again, like it was an effort, but looked at her again, right in the eye.

"This, Rory. This is what I've wanted for…" He shook his head again, infuriatingly. "I just can't believe we're here Ror."

She could hear a roughness in his voice, like maybe he too was fighting back tears. Rory moved into him then, leaning her forehead on his shoulder and he moved his hands to hold her.

"But we are Jess," she whispered, slightly incredulous and tearful herself. "We're here."

She felt him move his hand slowly up and down her back and she moved even closer into him. They stood like that for a while until Rory moved her head to look at him seriously.

"I've missed you Jess."

"I know, Rory. Me too."

"I didn't even know how much I missed you until now."

He just looked at her then with a look she recognised. He wanted to kiss her; when Jess couldn't voice his emotions, he was always very good at putting them into kissing form. She looked away from him then, replacing her head on his shoulder.

"I can't bear the idea of being away from you again." Her voice was quiet but clear and for a moment the only sound was the wind that tugged at the still-open window.

"Don't think about that yet, Rory. I know I _can't_." He nudged at her head, indicating that he wanted to look at her to which she obliged. "Let's just _be_ for a while, okay? C'mon, we're both tired and I don't think I'm in a fit state to think about leaving you when I've only just got here. Let's just, I don't know, lie down, get some sleep and be together for now. Yeah?" His eyes were searching hers, pleading. That didn't actually sound too bad, having Jess holding her, close to her, so that when she woke in the night she'd be able to find that her dream was in fact her reality.

/

When Lorelai opened Rory's door the next morning, having knocked gently a few times, she was surprised how unsurprised she was to see Jess lying next to her daughter on the twin bed, fully clothed, one arm around her shoulders, Rory's face buried in his t-shirt. She smiled, closing the door quietly as she backed out of the room and into a waiting Luke.

"I thought you were going to get Rory?"

"She has a guest and I feel like they have some catching up to do."

She watched as realisation dawned over Luke's features.

"Shouldn't we…?"

"They're just sleeping, Luke. And they're not teenagers anymore."

Lorelai took his hand, dragged him towards the stove and pecked him on the lips.

"You could still start on those pancakes though."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm sorry it's been so long. I didn't mean that to happen. Also, a warning for extreme cheese ahead. And for me getting used to writing stuff other than dialogue... Thank y'all for reading.**

Chapter 4

Rory stirred gently as light fell low on her face. There was a lot less space on her single bed than she was used to and, considering she had also become used to sleeping on double hotel beds as she crossed the country, that definitely wasn't much space. She didn't mind though because even as she shifted ever so slightly, a smell that reminded her of snow and books and smirks intensified. Jess was beside her. He may have been taking up space but to Rory, it was space that had felt wrong when it was empty. Jess' t-shirt was warm, soft and thin enough that Rory could feel the plains beneath with the tip of her nose. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to take in this moment, so afraid that in a moment she would wake up again and, again, Jess would be gone. He didn't do that now, Rory assured herself and inched closer to the sleeping man. Now it was Jess' turn to wake, gently and by halves, reaching up to stroke her hair as he breathed: "Rory." That was also when the knocking started.

"Bored now Rory. Bring your man friend out so I can smile at him sweetly."

Rory had frozen at the knocking and her heart had skipped at a beat at the words 'man friend'. Lorelai had seen Jess. How? When? What time even was it? Rory turned to her night table, soliciting a groan from a still-drowsy Jess. It was only 8:45. But, Rory remembered, that meant Luke and Lorelai had been up for at least three hours. Sighing, Rory nudged Jess.

"'M sleep Rory."

"C'mon Jess. Mom will leave any minute than you can sleep again."

Jess turned and leant up on his elbow to look at her, his hair ruffled and his voice still thick from sleeping.

"She never liked me anyway."

Rory leant down to meet him and stare him hard in the eyes.

"Not true. She likes you now."

The knocking recommenced then and Lorelai's voice came sing-songing through the door.

"Roooorrryyyy…"

Jess let out an exasperated laugh-sigh and fell back on to Rory's pillow.

"I see zero evidence for that. She is rousing me from my happy place."

Rory couldn't help herself. A wide grin stole over her face and her mind became completely distracted. Because she too had been roused from her happy place, from lying there with Jess. She couldn't believe how everything finally seemed to be falling into place. She moved closer to Jess, so she could whisper carefully and provocatively:

"I'm your happy place?"

Jess' grin matched her own when he realised what he'd said. And that he'd said it in the light of day, with no shadows or mood lighting to hide behind.

"Kiddo, I am opening this door on the count of three so you two better not be naked."

Rory shook her head, chuckling to herself while Jess groaned some more and made an effort to sit up and look awake.

"One. Two…"

The door swung open to reveal Lorelai posing in the doorway. Rory did her best to look unimpressed but she'd been away from home so long that she hadn't realised how much she missed her mother's high-jinks.

"So not three, Mom."

Lorelai pouted and narrowed her eyes at Rory as she moved into the room with her patented over-played sass.

"Y'know me, I live life to the full." She pulled herself back to her usual standing position and turned to smile at the man in her daughter's bed. "Morning Jess."

Jess inclined his head towards her.

"Lorelai."

Lorelai caught Rory's eye and raised her eyebrows.

"Ever the chatty one huh? I would say it wouldn't expect anything less what with his uncle but Luke did have a lot to say this morning."

Rory looked alarmed and Lorelai chucked evilly in return as she spun to leave the room.

"He found out, I don't know _how_ , but he found out about Jess' overnight stay. I did tell him you weren't teenagers but I still think he's been scarred for life."

Lorelai was in the hallway now, Rory could hear her moving around for her heels, her bag, her coat.

"I'll be at the Inn if you need me. Oh, and Luke did still leave you some pancakes. Despite the scarring."

As the door slammed, Rory could hear the dance in her mother's voice and couldn't help but smile quietly in return, knowing Lorelai would feel it. Jess was here. Her mom and Luke were here. Rory Gilmore was home.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I know it's not much but I kinda like it stopping where it does. Hope you do too.**

Chapter 5

Rory dragged Jess through town by the hand. They were going to Luke's; almost as soon as Lorelai had left, Rory had started talking about going to Luke's.

"But there are pancakes here," Jess had argued.

"But not coffee." Jess had raised his eyebrows. "Okay, fine. Not _Luke's_ coffee. _Please_ Jess. Everyone's gonna see us soon anyway. And they all already know. I've been away for months with only watery machine coffee and Starbucks to get me by; I just want a proper cup of coffee."

Rory had crawled up her bed towards him then, grinning evilly. He couldn't say no to that. So here they were: getting coffee.

"I don't understand the running, Ror. The diner will still be there."

"One: not running, moving with purpose. Two: I am a Gilmore and that man has the coffee."

Jess rolled his eyes and smiled. He'd missed this so much. Even if it was cold and he kind of wished he was still wrapped up in Rory on her bed, he had missed her unquenchable enthusiasm for everything and especially for coffee.

"Earth to Jess?"

"Huh?"

"I said: Are you sure you're sure about Friday Night Dinner tonight?"

"Ah yes. My subconscious knew I didn't want to hear that."

"Jess."

"Yes, I'm sure. And your grandparents are going to love me this time."

Rory just snorted.

"Well thanks for the vote of confidence."

She stopped moving then and took his other hand in hers, smiling, just looking at him.

"I've missed you, Jess."

He met her gaze then.

"I know."

The look in her eyes changed from playful to deadly serious. Almost sad.

"No, I've really missed you. I… Jess…"

He liked to think the look in his own eyes stopped her talking. That they showed her that he felt the exact same way because although he was happy - _so_ happy - he couldn't help but be a little sad for all the time they hadn't been able to make it work, for all the time they hadn't been here together, moving with purpose through the fall leaves towards the people the loved them both best in the world.

"I know, Rory. I know."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry this has been a while coming - and I promise Friday Night Dinner is next up.**

 **Also, I don't own** ** _Gilmore Girls_** **. Surprisingly enough.**

Chapter 6

"He's coming?"

Lorelai was standing in Rory's bedroom doorway - one high heel on, the other off - looking at her daughter with no little incredulity. Rory turned from her dressing table, foundation on her fingertips and shook her head disbelievingly.

"Yes, Mom, that is what I said."

Rory had called upstairs five minutes before, imagining that she was reminding her mother that they would need to collect Jess from the diner, where Rory had left him. It had clearly not been a reminder and as such, she was now facing the patented Lorelai Gilmore (the II) third degree.

"Are you sure? Is _he_ sure?"

Rory sighed exasperatedly.

"Yes I'm sure _and_ I checked with him: also sure."

"But last time…"

At this, Rory rolled her eyes and continued with her abandoned makeup.

"I know what happened last time, Mom. I was there."

"Well I can tell you now that your grandmother will also remember. That, and any other infringement - of which there were many, let's not delude ourselves - committed by Jess when he dated you before _and_ when he was just an unconnected scourge on Stars Hollow society."

"He was never unconnected. He was Luke's."

Lorelai went to speak but Rory stopped her, continuing with a meaningful look:

"Plus…" She wiped left over residue from her hands with a makeup wipe. "I thought we were done with the Jess-bashing."

It was Lorelai's turn to sigh now.

"We are, Ror. I was exaggerating for effect. But you can't forget your grandma's incredible memory or her equally incredible ability to hold a grudge - or just be downright prejudiced."

Rory stopped with mascara half way to her eyes to give her mother a look.

"I know things are better with Luke now," Lorelai conceded. "But that wasn't easy. And Luke had never been anything but nice to us."

Rory turned back to the mirror. Lorelai was right of course. But it wasn't as if that hadn't been on Rory's mind pretty much ever since she'd found out that she and Jess would be in Stars Hollow together over a weekend.

"It'll be fine, Mom. Jess is… Jess is the reason… We all owe Jess a lot." Rory's voice was tense but just thinking about how much both Jess _and_ she had grown since the last time he'd been her boyfriend relaxed her.

Lorelai looked confused: "What do you mean, Ror?"

Realizing what she'd said, Rory hurried to continue,

"I just mean, I learnt a lot from my relationship with Jess y'know…"

"I don't think that means I owe him anything, Ror." Lorelai was loosing interest and had moved away to find her other show. "Except maybe a punch."

Rory shook her head and smiled. One day, she'd tell her family exactly how much they really owed Jess: her college degree, her job now… She didn't really know why she hadn't already, just that she wasn't exactly sure that Jess would want them to know. He did have something of a bad-boy act to preserve after all.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Still don't own** ** _Gilmore Girls._**

Chapter 7

They stood, four abreast, in front of the heavy oak door.

"Are we going to knock then?"

Luke, Lorelai and Rory all turned to look at Jess.

"That is _not_ how this works, Jess." Lorelai looked at him disapprovingly. Jess just looked confused.

"Give us a minute to prepare ourselves, okay?" Luke tapped his nephew on the shoulder, who in turn turned to his girlfriend and whispered,

"That bad, huh?"

"Yes, Jess. You remember the last time: that bad."

Jess sighed and waited. And waited. Then knocked on the door, ignoring Lorelai's pointed look in his direction. The door was opened by a maid, one neither Luke nor Lorelai recognised, but Emily Gilmore came running up behind her.

"Oh Rory! Richard, they're here!" She embraced her granddaughter, smiling, before running back into the living room.

"Someone's excitable today…" Lorelai muttered. Luke just took her hand.

"Are you going to spend the whole evening out in the hall?" Emily had poked her head round to look at them all again. Dutifully, the two couples trooped in, coats draped over their arms.

"Oh, let me look at you." Emily held Rory at arms length and scanned her up and down. "Don't you look grown up. Doesn't she look grown up, Richard?"

The Gilmore patriarch had just entered.

"What was that, dear?"

"Doesn't Rory look grown up?"

Richard looked her grand-daughter, musing over the question.

"Why, yes - I would say she did. Hello, Rory," he said, hugging her. "We have missed you, haven't we Emily?"

"Oh yes we have."

Lorelai cleared her throat, "Not to break up this lovely reunion but…"

Her mother turned to her.

"Hello, Lorelai, Luke and…" Emily seemed to notice Jess properly for the first time.

"You remember Jess don't you, Grandma?"

Emily hastily arranged her face and turned back to Rory.

"Of course I do. Hello again, Jess. Take a seat everyone."

She left the room, Richard taking the helm at the drinks' cart, also trying not to look unnerved.

"What can I get anyone?"

"More caring parents…"

"Now that's not very charitable, Lorelai. We do see you every week. Gin and tonic, Rory?"

In the silence after the drinks' orders, Emily's voice reached them from the dining room.

"It's not that hard to lay an extra place, Marietta. No, don't just push the other plates down - _pick them up_ to readjust."

Rory looked from Jess to her mother and back again, taking his hand and shaking her head.

"Uh, Mom?"

Emily marched back into the living room.

"What is it, Lorelai?"

Lorelai smirked and gestured head towards the dining room.

"You ever heard of whispering?"

"Pardon me?"

"We all heard you asking to lay an extra place…"

Rory laid her hand on her mother's leg and spoke herself,

"Did you forget Jess was coming, Grandma?"

"Um… No, I did not forget. I just thought…"

"Grandma?"

Emily bristled, raising her chin and speaking stiffly,

"I thought your mother might be making one of her jokes."

Rory tensed, holding tighter to Jess' hand. Jess sighed and whispered,

"Let it go, Rory."

She ignored him.

"Me and Jess dating isn't a joke, Grandma."

"Yes, I know, Rory, but you know your mother…"

Rory opened her mouth to argue further but Lorelai grabbed her other hand: "Not worth it, Ror. Think of the big picture."

"Shall we eat, Emily?" Richard cut in.

"Great idea, Mr Gilmore," Luke said, leaping up.

"I told you to call me Richard, Luke," Richard reproached.

Luke nodded and repeated,

"Great idea, _Richard_."


End file.
